Practice Areas

Estate Planning

An Estate Plan refers to the means by which your estate is preserved during your lifetime and distributed to your loved ones upon your death. It is necessary to avoid the costly and time-consuming probate process which is public in nature, requires statutory fees (the cost of probate is determined by the state of California) and can take anywhere from six months to several years for your beneficiaries to receive their inheritance.

An Estate Plan will:

  • Enable you to decide who inherits from you and at what time
  • Allows you to plan for incapacity
  • Allows you to plan for loved ones without losing control of your assets
  • Allows you to reduce income, gift, estate and generation skipping taxes
  • Keeps affairs private
  • Eases the management of financial and legal affairs
  • Provides loved ones with efficient and timely inheritance
  • Gives peace of mind that your assets will be distributed in accordance with your wishes

Probate

Probate is a court proceeding designed to create "a final accounting" upon the death of a person who dies in the state of California with more than $160,500.00 of aggregate net assets not titled in a Trust.  This process takes place in one of two instances:  first, if a person dies leaving a Will without an accompanying Trust, or second, if the individual has died intestate, meaning without a Will or Estate Plan of any type.  We can assist you in making sure that your Estate avoids Probate or we can guide you through the Probate Process to ensure your loved one's wishes are honored in the Probate Court and you receive what you are entitled to without enduring the burden of facing the process on your own.

Estate Administration

When a loved one dies and leaves a Living Trust, the Trustee is responsible for taking inventory of the estate and eventually distributing the assets to the beneficiaries in accordance with the Settlor's wishes.  This process is complex and often difficult to comprehend for someone without extensive legal and financial knowledge.  We can help guide the Trustee through this process and advise them regarding their duties and obligations.